File photo by Diane Lederman / The RepublicanSona Andrews, seen during a visit to the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, has been named provost and vice president for academic affairs at Portland State University.

Sona Karentz Andrews Friday was named provost and vice president for academic affairs at Portland State University. Andrews is the current vice chancellor for academic strategies for the Oregon University system.

“This is an exciting opportunity for me,” said Andrews in a press release. “I share PSU’s aspirations to be among the nation’s leading urban public research universities. We can achieve this by striving for excellence, making strategic decisions, creating an institution that values equity and inclusion, being a place where students, faculty and staff thrive, and by developing a unified and strong voice for supporting public higher education in Oregon.”

In an email, Susan D. Phillips, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Albany/State University of New York wrote that she had withdrawn her name from further consideration.

“A complicated decision, of course, but I know that the other three finalists are all excellent candidates and that the very special place that is UMass will be well-served with their leadership.”
That was sent before the latest development.
Phillips, who called her style collaborative, was one of four finalists.

Now there are just two remaining candidates. UMass President Robert L. Caret has been slated to name a new chancellor Monday evening in Boston at a special Board of Trustees meeting convened to vote on that recommendation.
The new chancellor is then expected to visit the campus Tuesday morning.

The remaining candidates are Carlos E. Santiago, chief executive officer of Hispanic College Fund in Washington and former chancellor of the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee and Kumble R. Subbaswamy, provost at the University of Kentucky.

The chancellor would replace Robert C. Holub who has been chancellor for four years.